


Rain

by angstboiseason



Category: Naruto, Naruto Shippuden
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Fluff, M/M, My First Fanfic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent Umino Iruka, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-04-14 11:03:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14134755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angstboiseason/pseuds/angstboiseason
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto, rain enthusiast and self proclaimed weirdo, finds his life upturned when one Uchiha Sasuke quite literally barrels straight into both him, and his once peaceful life.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Meep. Lol.

Sheets of gray bathed the streets in a watery glaze as Naruto strolled the abandoned road. An all-encompassing blur veiled all color and shape, morphing every individual object and being into one large mass of rain. Rain. The sky was an endless vat of haze through which sunlight occasionally flit through. Naruto had always loved the rain. Loved it beyond reason. The way it makes everything greener, the way it spreads itself unabashed through every crack and crevice of a city, the way it is split into millions upon millions of drops yet still somehow a whole, the way it is beautiful yet untouchable and impalpable. Unable to be captured, free.

Naruto marveled at the occasional car that passed. Everyone had left school by car or bus for the past few weeks as spring hailed Konoha with daily afternoon showers. He couldn't understand why these people were so averted towards rain. Naruto himself spent his days in the backs of classrooms gazing longingly at the wisps of gray that slowly gathered and grew dense, waiting for the blip in time when he could feel the clouds of moisture grow weary and splatter the gathered frustration of the day onto the little green town. Naruto fancied himself and the clouds as conspirators, chums, friends even. In the same manner that Naruto sighed in relief when school was dismissed, he liked to think that rain was the sighing of the clouds as they released accumulated stress from a long day.

Droplets clung to Naruto's eyelashes and his fluffy blonde hair lay flat, matted down. Bright blue eyes, dulled slightly to a gray gradient by the rain washed surroundings, were trained on the ground as he counted the cracks in the side walk. The pavement was slightly reflective and Naruto halted with a start as he realized his reflection was rapidly coming to life before him on the ground. He tilted his head and regarded the person before him. He wondered somewhere in the back of his mind if his puddle buddy from another dimension would jump out and greet him, maybe pull him down into the watery world where he could escape his anti-rain reality and meet all his fellow rain worshipers. Amused blue eyes crinkled in wonderment and scanned the "rain Naruto". He had a ratty black pullover hoodie and blue jeans atop a scuffed pair of orange sharpie graffiti-covered converse.

"You and I against the world man..." Naruto whispered to his reflection as Chopin's Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 came to a crescendo in his headphones. The trills of the waltz were repeating themselves. Back and forth back and forth back and forth and back and-

"OOF."

An insurmountable force made contact with Naruto's back and sent him face first into the puddle, limbs sprawling and bag flying off to land in the nearby mud. His headphones had slipped off as well, to reveal the unmistakable sound of footsteps running away. The unfairness of it all, what with being soaked in more rain water, a bag covered in mud, and expensive headphones drowning in a puddle, had Naruto scrambling to his feet and gritting his teeth as he scooped up his tattered belongings. He took off sprinting after the blurry silhouette, wiping rain water out of his eyes and grumbling to himself. No matter how much Naruto loved the rain, he would always have a temper that blares like the sun, an unstoppable temper at that. He chased him for a few blocks through the rain, the sound of their footsteps bouncing off the small suburb homes. Dodging trees and parked cars, Naruto found himself tiring until finally the silhouette turned the corner into an alley that Naruto knew was a dead-end. He grinned to himself.

_I got you now, asshole._

He swerved around the corner and skidded to halt to confront his attacker. The alley was bathed in a dark gloom, overflowing garbage cans permeated the air with the pungent stench of rot and the brick walls layered in grime offered a claustrophobic sensation. Naruto tried to control his breath as the relentless rain continued to pound down and accentuate the silence. For a moment Naruto was worried that he had been hallucinating and he'd been chasing a figment of his imagination for the past ten minutes.

His sanity was confirmed, however, when a rattling crash pierced the silence from further down in the murkiness of the alley. The crashes were followed by the unmistakable sound of crying. No, sobbing. Full on choked cries of anguish that were staring to make Naruto extremely uncomfortable. It sort of seemed like a crap day for the guy. Naruto crept cautiously up the alley, between garbage cans and soggy cardboard boxes while the rain drummed on the rooftops above; as if approaching a feral animal, laying one foot in front of the other with meticulous care.

His hands were held out slightly in front of his body and his palms were facing out in the most non-threatening manner Naruto could muster. As he neared the end of the alley the garbage cans began to look askew, they'd all crashed to the ground and boxes of miscellaneous items were sprawled all across the wet and grimy ground. A huddled shape sat with its head tucked between folded arms in the very back corner of the alley. This was his attacker, and so it seemed, the source of the sobbing. Naruto had planned to grab the jerk by the collar and demand he pay for the repair of his headphones and possibly buy Naruto a new bag, but seeing such a sad and frankly depressed looking person in the place of the arrogant jerk Naruto was expecting squeezed all the animosity out of him.

Suddenly the sobbing stopped, and Naruto crept closer still, crouching to his haunches to bring himself eye-level with him. Upon closer inspection Naruto found that the kid had jet black hair with navy tips and his hands were so pale they seemed blue. He was clad in all black, seemed to be of a slight build, and about the same age as Naruto.

"H-Hey...I. I'm sorry for chasing you...I. I didn't scare you, did I?" Naruto, as per usual, spoke first, trying to diffuse the thick tension. The boy opposite him slowly rose his head and obsidian eyes met blue. Naruto had to catch his breath as the other locked eyes with him. He was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. He wasn't "hot" or anything. No, he was hands down the most ethereal and beautiful human Naruto had ever laid eyes upon. Upon further thought, Naruto found that it was a bit annoying actually, how unfairly nice looking this guy was.

_Who sculpted you? Michelangelo? Jesus._

The boy sniffled and wiped his tears on his sleeve, "No you moron, DNA."

Naruto blinked in surprise, then chuckled, embarrassment painting his cheeks whilst placing a hand to the back of his head, "Ah...I guess I said that out loud then. Um. Sorry about that."

"It's fine. I've heard worse." The boy chuckled dryly but Naruto didn't miss the unmistakable break in his voice, hinting at more tears to come.

"Hey...I really am sorry. I overreacted back there and chased you...I'm just like that sometimes. Can I ask your name?" Naruto offered with a crooked smile. He turned and sat next to the boy, leaning against the rough brick and facing the entrance of the alley.

"Uchiha Sasuke. You?"

"Charmed to meet you Sasuke, I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I really am sorry." At his words, Sasuke furrowed two elegantly arched eyebrows in confusion.

"...Like...like the fishcake 'Naruto'?" Sasuke brought his pale hands to his face and accentuated his perplexed "Naruto" with finger quotes, an action that which had Naruto finding himself momentarily incapacitated due to sheer cuteness.

"Heh...um...Yeah I guess," Naruto grinned, "My mom was Japanese and she really, really loved ramen. She was kind of unhealthily obsessed with it actually. I think I inherited the same obsession though so who am I to judge, am I right?" Sasuke stared at Naruto once again in puzzlement.

"...You...you're half Japanese? You're blonde...and your eyes are like super, super blue," Sasuke suddenly realized what his words could potentially imply and his eyes widened comically as a blush rose to his tear streaked cheeks, "I-I mean…you-you're very blonde...and w-well. I-I certainly didn't mean to-to imply s-such...something...Like that."

Naruto was quick to assure Sasuke that it was fine but not without first bathing in implications of Sasuke's pink tinted cheeks.

"I don't mean to pry, but could I ask why you were crying?" Naruto bent his head to make eye contact with Sasuke.

"Oh. Well, it’s nothing really, just..." Sasuke sighed and tucked his head back between his arms and avoided Naruto's eager gaze. Naruto pouted at the slight rejection.

_Just as I was getting him to open up about himself._

Naruto frowned at the direction his thoughts were taking. Were these normal thoughts to have about someone you started talking to for the first time not two minutes ago? Not in the slightest? Did Naruto care? It was becoming more and more evident with every fleeting glance shot at the shuddering boy next to him that no, he did not. Abruptly, Sasuke stood, and his features hardened.

"You're a lucky little punk, you know that Naruto?" Naruto stared aghast at the sudden transformation that the sickly, stuttering, shy, poor little boy underwent in a matter of a few minutes.

Naruto scrambled to his feet, "C-come again?" Sasuke turned to Naruto.

"Not many people have ever seen me like," Sasuke visibly cringed at his own words, as if they disgusted him, "like, _this._ " Sasuke gestured at his tear streaked face.

"Hey," Naruto muttered gently, "It's alright. It's OK to cry sometimes.”

_Jesus that's cheesy, way to go Naruto 'ol pal. Open up a whole can of cringe on the poor guy why don't you?_

Sasuke scoffed at Naruto and lowered his head. Naruto found something about the gesture caused his heart to clench slightly, as if his stupid thoughts and stupid heart couldn't handle a sad Sasuke, a "Sasuke" that he met only moments ago.

_Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid. Naruto, get it together ya little bitch_

Yeah, well maybe to someone like _you._ ” Naruto's head snapped up at that particular remark.

“And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Sasuke looked genuinely confused, as if he didn't say something widely accepted to be socially unacceptable.

 _Just 'cause you're cute doesn't mean you can say whatever the hell you want_.

Naruto inwardly cringed at himself yet again.

"Well, I just meant, like. Normal people I guess? You are a normal person and it's OK for you to cry sometimes."

"And you, as a non-normal person, can't?"

Sasuke shook his head grimly and looked off towards the entrance of the alley. As Naruto stared at his side profile, it seemed that Sasuke came to some sort of decision as he set his jaw and gathered his belongings, now thoroughly soaked as even Sasuke had not been able to avoid the rain, and walked a few paces past Naruto before stopping short of the sidewalk.

"It was nice to meet you Uzumaki Naruto. But I have to go now."

Naruto mumbled something very intelligent in its vague incomprehensibility, before raising an awkward hand to back of his head, trying to conceal his confusion with the situation in its entirety.

"Uh, yeah totally, you too Sasuke. Um. See you around?” Sasuke chuckled softly at Naruto as the latter self-consciously lowered his hands and fidgeted with his unoccupied hands. Nervous energy tore through his body as Sasuke calmly stared him down. Naruto took a deep breath and tried to disregard the oddly intent stare that Sasuke regarded him with, "I'm just a bit confused. This was definitely one of the weirder things that have happened to me? I'm not sure why it's so weird, it shouldn't be, right? You're only a person, I mean, a pretty nice looking person, but still just a person and-"

"Yeah, I tend to have that effect on people. Can't really help it myself actually." And with that completely unfair-in-its-awesomeness statement, Sasuke swiveled very calmly on one heel, as if he hadn't been sobbing and knocking down unsuspecting blondes not twenty minutes ago, and strolled out into the rain, turning the corner and ambling down on his merry way.

"Well that was just fucking weird, wasn't it?"

_Oh my god that was so fucking cool and sexy what type of human is able to one-eighty like that? What the hell? Oh my god._

Naruto found himself stunned and in a certain state of shock for quite a considerable amount of time before he was able to gather his bag and make his way home in an utter daze. As Naruto laid in bed that night, still perplexed about that special half-hour or so after school he spent chasing, finding, conversing with, and being abandoned by one Uchiha Sasuke, he came to a realization.

_I am so fucked._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fre Sha Va Ca Do

Though he would never admit it, Naruto spent the next week in a state of utter panic. His daily life was comprised of an ordinary schedule: wake up, get ready, get a ride to school from Iruka on his way to the elementary school, sit through hour after hour of torturous lectures, and then walk home in the beautiful rain. However, this schedule was interwoven with one particular thought, thus the panic.

_ Uchiha. Sasuke. _

Every outward aspect of Naruto’s daily goings about remained intact and securely normal. Inwardly, however, Naruto found himself wholly occupied with the gorgeous stranger wrapped in mystery he’d met the past week. He found himself wondering what Sasuke would eat for breakfast as he stared in wonderment at his own ramen. He wondered whether or not Sasuke enjoyed chemistry as his lab partner frantically swiped at the flames licking at Naruto’s arms. With every passing day, every ordinary object, no matter how mundane, sparked thoughts of Sasuke and what went on past those captivating eyes that filled Naruto’s dreams. He wanted to know everything, especially what could make such a person cry the way Sasuke had in the alley, as if he lost everything.

_ Damn it, Sasuke. _

Naruto sighed heavily to himself. His usual Wednesday mood was a lot more chipper,  generally, he’d be bouncing off the walls and screaming, “HUMP DAY” in Iruka’s face; today he was sitting slumped in his chair and slurping his ramen at a slower pace than usual (still fast). As Iruka came down the hall however, he immediately straightened and increased his consumption rate to its normal measure.

“Hey Iruka! What’s shakin’ bacon?” Naruto greeted loudly with his mouth full. To this display, Iruka simply smiled ruefully and sat opposite Naruto at their rickety three person dining table, messily built by the two of them with a Portuguese assembly pamphlet. That’s what Naruto was most grateful towards Iruka for, he was perpetually patient with his antics and never raised his voice. For a moment, the two of them found peace as they sat, Naruto on his third ramen and Iruka nursing a coffee, in the morning sunlight filtering through the window. They didn’t have much, a one bedroom one bathroom apartment and a kitchen/dining area, but Naruto couldn’t have been happier. It was by far the best foster situation he’d yet to be in, and all because of Iruka.

After a few minutes of the companionable silence he and Naruto enjoyed sharing during their peaceful mornings together, Iruka broke the silence and cleared his throat. Naruto looked up, blue eyes wide and innocent, a single noodle hanging off his lip.

“I know you think you can try hiding when you’re upset by moping only when I’m not around, but let’s face it kid you’re no actor.” Iruka raised an inquisitive eyebrow in Naruto’s direction and calmly waited for him to spill. He need only stare Naruto down for no more than two minutes until the poor kid would confess everything.

“Iruka, I. Frankly, I don’t really have any idea what you’re talking about. You must be getting old and senile. I have nothing to tell…You have no proof! You-you, you didn’t see anything!” Naruto’s eyes frantically avoided Iruka’s own as more and more nonsense began to pour forth from his mouth.

“It’s uh-well the rain and all! And, wait why do you want to know? I demand a lawyer at once Iruka! I plead the fifth.” Naruto slammed his ramen onto the table, stood, dramatically crossed his arms and swung around to face the sink. Iruka gasped quietly as he desperately tried to contain his laughter. He watched with sweet brown eyes as Naruto deflated, turned and sat, and plopped his fluffy head of hair onto the table, with quite a bit of force.

“Ihaveacrushonaboystrangerhe’ssohot.” Naruto mumbled as fast as could manage to the crumbs beneath the table.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Iruka came around the table and crouched next to Naruto, placing a placating hand on his boy’s blonde hair.

“You can tell me Naruto.” Naruto slowly raised his head and looking searchingly into Iruka’s eyes.

_ I’m literally such an idiot. _

“I have a crush on a boy.” Naruto closed his eyes and braced himself for the gasp of astonishment or the sharp sting of a slap that was sure to follow. However, when all he heard was a high and mirthful giggle, he opened his eyes to find Iruka rolling on the floor, tears streaming from his eyes, face turning a brilliant shade of red, and engaged in a hearty laugh.

“Hey! What the hell Iruka? What’s so funny? Jesus, get up!” Iruka broke out into another fit of giggles at Naruto’s reaction. “Iruka! Stop it! It’s not funny!”

“Oh and to think I was so worried, look at you walking around all ‘gloom monster’ over a boy! Oh.” Iruka wheezed one last time before getting to his feet and grabbing his keys and coat, “I think I spend too much time with you kid, I’m getting way too amused by some strange things.” Iruka commented as his face returned to its normal color.

“Oh. You think so?” Naruto replied venomously, arms crossed and lower lip stuck out in irritation.

“Oh stop it, you big baby.” Iruka lovingly ruffled Naruto’s mass of hair. The corner of Naruto’s mouth curved up into a grudging smile. “Come on, I’m going to be late.”

At this, Naruto stood, cleared away his food and grabbed his backpack, childishly shoulder checking Iruka on his way out of the door. Iruka, as usual, simply smiled and locked the door behind them as they stepped out into the bright spring sun. He chased after Naruto who was impatiently fiddling with the door handle as Iruka took his time to unlock the passenger side.

“So what’s eatin’ ya kid? So what? You got a crush? What’s the problem here exactly?” Iruka tried gently to pry on the drive over so as not to upset Naruto once again, no matter how cute flustered and upset Naruto was.

“He’s a total stranger.” At this, Iruka glanced over worriedly.

“He’s not…oh my god, you didn’t meet him online did you? I swear to god Naruto if you’ve been messing with sixty year-old perverts online I will never let you near a computer again you understand me? Do you have any idea how dangerous some of those websites are? You could-“

“Jesus Iruka! No! It’s not like that! It’s just that he doesn’t go to my school and I only talked to him for like, five minutes.” Naruto shifted in his seat uncomfortably at the thought of sixty year-old perverts.

“When?” Iruka shot back almost immediately, worry coursing through him as every terrible scenario regarding his child flitted through his mind in rapid succession.

“Just last Wednesday after school. He bumped into me, and I…followed him?”

“What on earth do you mean you ‘followed him’?” Naruto looked outside to the trees flitting by and the sunlight glancing off the window.

“I don’t know why I did it.” Naruto sighed in defeat as Iruka pulled up to the curb of his school. Naruto was out of the car and about to leave but not before turning back to Iruka and smiling sweetly at him.

“You know, thank you for making me tell you Iruka. It felt good to finally get it off my chest.” Iruka clicked his tongue and wiped a false tear from his warm eyes.

“My Naruto, my baby boy all grown up! Oh don’t make me cry Naruto!” Naruto rolled his eyes and closed the door. He made his way over to the doors of his school, aka the gates of hell.

Naruto wasn’t what one would call popular. Despite his charming looks, the three scars on either side of his face scared off all the girls, and no one wanted to talk to him long enough to discover that he is truly the funniest person alive (a personal opinion, but opinions are just technicalities really). So when he entered, the groups of students sectioned off into their little cliques grew wary and quiet, as if he would attack at any moment. Naruto didn’t really know how this came to happen, he wouldn’t hurt a fly. Perhaps it was the way he constantly whistled classical piano pieces, or the way his Pikachu action figure in a pink tutu swung menacingly back and forth on his backpack. Maybe it was his constant smile, much too big for his face, or perhaps it was in his wide, naïve, cerulean eyes. Whatever it was, it was inexplicable yet accepted. Naruto could really care less either way.

He floated through his day, staring out windows.

_ Sasuke. _

Doodling flowers and Pikachu in his pink tutu.

_ Sasuke. _

Getting yelled at for not paying attention.

_ Sasuke. _

Finally, when his last class ended and the clouds began their wonderful downpour, Naruto shot out of his seat like a bullet and raced for the doors. He emerged into the rain yelling with joy.

_ He was here exactly a week ago. Today maybe he’ll… _

No, he couldn’t jinx his chances of seeing one Uchiha Sasuke with something as stupid as his internal monologue. Instead, Naruto shook his head to clear his head of all thoughts Uchiha related and tried to control the wide grin that was rapidly stretching across his cheeks. However, unable to control the urge to skip, Naruto hopped happily down the sidewalks, drawing strange looks from the (insane) students driving home in  _ cars. _

_ I really will never understand these lunatics.  _ _ Evaporation, condensation, precipitation people! The science of god’s gift! Sheesh! _

Naruto found himself checking over his shoulder constantly as he made his way home, searching for an all-black clad figure racing through the slate gray haze. The rain wasn’t all that heavy today, rather a fine mist hung in the air, seemingly falling downward in slow motion, like watery snow. The excitable Naruto found himself wishing more than ever to run into Sasuke.

But as the blocks passed in a normal fashion, as the streets blurred into one another, all absent of any dark, tall, clandestine shrouded figures, the rain came down harder, as if chastising Naruto for daring to wish.

_ Idiot. _

Naruto mussed his hair, frustrated with his overactive emotions and imagination as he stood outside his front door, key poised and already shaking off the water from his converse. Yet, something held him back from inserting and turning the key. Naruto glanced over his shoulder once more. Hoping. All he saw was another row of cheap, tiny, townhouses and worn yards.

_It’s definitely time to give it up Uzumaki. Get yourself together_ _and get over this complete stranger. No more Sasuke. NO MORE SASUKE. Get it together, get it together, get it together, GET. IT. TOGETHER._

With his mini pep talk out of the way, Naruto took a deep breath, shook out his hands, turned the key in the lock, and swung open the door, intent on finding a more suitable subject of obsession.

That is, until he found Uchiha Sasuke standing in his kitchen, dripping rain water on the vinyl tile and fiddling with the salt shaker.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ay you know this boy's got his free taco.

Naruto could definitely say that he has endured his fair share of crazy. From fostering with “alien abductees” to a dude with a zebra fetish, he’s had more than enough experience with the out of the ordinary. With this particular situation, however, Naruto found himself at a loss.

No matter how he approached the situation, it was in all manners of the word, _insane._

For all of the situation’s outrageous aspects, the first thought that went through his head was not one of surprise, nor anger.

_Sasuke._

For the nth (and most certainly not the last) time, Naruto told the star struck romantic voice in his head to shut up and cease its wistful sighs, and start thinking rationally. Thankfully, his vocal reaction was much more suited to the situation.

“WHAT THE FUCK!” Naruto slammed the door behind him and raced the few short steps down the small hallway towards the kitchen, planning to heroically tackle the intruder to the floor. However, upon entering the kitchen Naruto slightly undershot his mighty leap of justice and hit his head on the low plaster ceiling. He came crashing down to the tile, bruising his tailbone painfully. Wincing, Naruto grabbed the edge of the counter and attempted to stand, only to slip on the rainwater that had gathered on the floor and come crashing back down the floor, with which he had become highly acquainted with within the past few seconds.

Naruto regarded the black sneakers that stood not three inches from his throbbing head and cursed every entity he could think of as he, _slowly_ , crawled to his hands and feet before standing to face the sole occupant of his thoughts over the past week.

He was paler, if possible, than before. And his cheeks had sunken, revealing a pair of sharp cheekbones and an unhealthily defined jaw. Besides his onyx eyes, which revealed only the slightest hint of emotion, his expression wore a mask of nonchalant indifference, tinted with a hardness only deep suffering could cause. As Sasuke lifted his chin, Naruto felt a brush of chills run down his back as Sasuke’s eyes met his own. Naruto tried his best not to let his concern for his unhealthy state show as he cleared his throat.

“Ahem. Uh. This is breaking and entering and you are breaking the law. Um.” Naruto shifted uncomfortably and took a hesitant step back as he realized how close Sasuke stood.

“You’re quite graceful, aren’t you?” A small smirk played on Sasuke’s full lips, once again reminding Naruto of a chiseled statue carved by masters.

“I think, at this particular moment, grace has hardly anything to do with the situation. Now, how on earth did you get in here? The door was not unlocked.”

“You can lock a door from the inside.” Naruto bristled at the remark before countering.

“Well yes. I realize that the door was locked when _I_ got here, what about when _you_ got here, genius?”

“The lock was most definitely not engaged when I arrived here initially. Perhaps you forgot to lock it.”

“I most certainly did _not_ forget to lock it! In fact it wasn’t even me who…” Naruto paused as a look of contemplation crossed his face. Almost immediately, he twisted his backpack around to his front and ripped open the zipper. He began to pull items out and throw them aside in frustration, he wrestled furiously with a sweatshirt for a moment before digging out his cellphone from the pocket and triumphantly holding it up in victory. He shot a look bathed in suspicion towards Sasuke, who had decided to make himself at home and had promptly sat down at the kitchen table and propped his muddy shoes up, now juggling both the salt and pepper shaker back and forth.

“You. Stay.” Naruto motioned wildly at Sasuke, wagging a finger as if commanding a dog.

“Hn.” Sasuke replied shortly, accompanied by an eye roll.

Naruto raced out of the room and into the entrance area, ducking to the left into the small secluded workspace Iruka had fixed for himself with a small desk and lamp before dialing Iruka as fast as he could in the rapidly falling light. The line rung a few times, with passing second between each ring causing Naruto a bout of anxiety. Finally, Iruka picked up.

_“Naruto, what on earth is it? I told you that I’d be in parent meetings all day didn’t I? This had better be good! Konohamaru cut another girl’s hair and it’s a whole goddamned mess! I can’t afford distraction right now! This is important! His education is on the line, he-”_

Naruto, cut off Iruka, not wanting his guardian and only friend to fall victim to a stress induced heart attack.

“Iruka, I know! I’m sorry it’s just really important!” Naruto whispered into the phone. Not giving Iruka a chance to reply, he continued.

“So you know how I told you about that guy and the thing that rhymes with, uh…flush? Yeah, so that specific person is here in the house and I have _no idea how he got in!_ He says the door was unlocked so he just walked in, I haven’t quite gotten to why exactly.” Naruto paused and whispered in an even lower tone, “He’s, like, kind of scary.”

_“Naruto! Call the police you absolute incompetent cretin! I do not care that he is hot, you call the police right now!”_

“Ok, so. I completely understand where you’re coming from Iruka, I really do. _But,_ I anticipated that you might say that. Also, this is your fault, you forgot to lock the door behind you this morning.” An incomprehensible squawk of rage sounded from the other line followed by a string of unprintable curses.

_”I did not! I never forget to…well never mind that! Do you even have a bone of self-preservation in your body Uzumaki? Fine. I’m calling the police and reporting him for breaking and entering.”_

“Iruka!” Naruto yelled into the phone as the other line quieted.

“He’s like me Iruka. He’s lost.”

 _“Is that so Naruto? And how did you come to that brilliant conclusion?”_ Despite the sarcasm in the words, Iruka’s tone had softened. He was a sucker for lost kids, having been one himself. Naruto’s heart filled with hope and beat in time with the rain drumming on the windows as he slowly approached the entryway to the kitchen and peered around the corner into the kitchen, regarding Sasuke as his hands deftly handled the salt and pepper, throwing and catching them with uncanny precision.

Naruto turned away and retreated back to Iruka’s office before replying.

“I just have a feeling.”

_“Is this ‘feeling’ in your pants? Alongside your brain?”_

“Hey!” Naruto whisper-yelled into the phone, blushing madly.

 _“Tell you what kid, get him to explain just what the fuck he was thinking walking into our home like that, and as soon as this goddamned meeting is over I will be there. If he doesn’t say anything, threaten to call the police. Okay? Just, don’t get too close to him, he might have a knife or something.”_ The worry in Iruka’s voice had died down somewhat, and Naruto took this as a good sign as the line went dead. Naruto took a few deep breaths in the darkness of the room before steeling himself to face the stranger in the next room.

In the evening light, Sasuke’s skin appeared to be washed in a watery blue hue, and his eyes flashed silver in Naruto’s direction as the blonde tentatively entered the room, feeling insecure in his own house. Sasuke had finally set down the salt and pepper on the rickety table, but his long legs remained comfortably perched atop. Naruto glared pointedly at the offending sneakers and Sasuke heaved a suffering sigh as he placed his feet rightfully on the floor. Naruto swiftly dug into a nearby drawer and pulled out a spatula. He wielded his weapon as he approached the table and pulled out the chair opposite the one Sasuke sat in. He coolly (or so he thought) swung it around as he’d seen in the hundreds of dramatized interrogations he’d seen on TV, and sat, his arms crossed over the top and still pointing the spatula in Sasuke’s direction.

Before Naruto could get a word in, Sasuke was already speaking.

“You got some thin walls in this house, Naruto.” At this, a million thoughts raced through Naruto’s mind as he considered what Sasuke may have heard.

_He remembered my name._

“Also, whoever you were talking to, Iruka, right? Yeah, he may or may not have been on speaker phone.”

_Shit._

“Gosh, what could _possibly_ rhyme with flush?” Naruto felt blood rush to his face.

“Spatulas can hurt, I would know. Now don’t make me use this.” Naruto thrust his improvised weaponry at Sasuke in what he hoped was a threatening manner. From the amused look on Sasuke’s face, it was not.

“Aww Naruto, you couldn’t possibly bring yourself to hit an original statue sculpted by _the_ Michelangelo could you? Kitchen appliances are known for their destructive qualities.” Sasuke taunted Naruto, and Naruto felt his anger slowly and familiarly overcoming his embarrassment. One of his best qualities in his opinion.

“Ok, you know what jerk? You’re the one who broke into _my_ house. So it’s not really in your interest to bring up what may or may not have been said in the past.” Naruto stood and slammed both hands down on the table, “And for the record, at the moment, you look a little bit like a drowning, wrinkly, little wombat! So unless you want me to call the police, I suggest you shut your stupid face before I slap it closed with this!” Naruto brandished his weapon once again. At the mention of the police, Sasuke’s arrogant attitude calmed a bit and he grew guarded. Drawing into himself and a mask of cool indifference settling over his face. Naruto began to notice a pattern.

“Are you in trouble or something? Do you need to stay somewhere? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not offering up my house as some sort of hotel service, but just…What happened? Just explain and I won’t call the police. Okay?” Naruto sat back down as Sasuke crossed his arms and regarded Naruto with that frustratingly blank expression, once again, the subtle implications behind his black eyes the only indication of life in his face.

“You already saw me at my worst, haven’t you? I guess it wouldn’t hurt to tell an idiot like you the whole story, you’ll probably forget the whole thing tomorrow.” Sasuke laughed mirthlessly, the sound reverberating harshly around the small house. The situation couldn’t have been more different from when Naruto first met Sasuke, they were both on the defensive, inside, warm. The only constant was the incessant percussion of the rain that Naruto’s pulse seemed to align itself with.

Naruto looked imploringly into Sasuke’s eyes. He was all the more intrigued. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t want to know every single detail about this boy that sat opposite him. He had a feeling Sasuke knew this. Sasuke met Naruto’s gaze and the mask cracked just the slightest bit, out poured a story.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be careful children, that's a lot a sodium.

**_All he could see was red. A blinding, deep red. It was dripping down the walls, seeping into the imported carpets, soaking the cuffs of his pants, and staining his hands. Two bodies were placed next to one another, stiff and cold to the touch, yet soaked in the warmth of their own blood. A neat line was carved into each of their throats, still spilling blood and covering the wood floors his father was so proud of. For a moment, the world stopped turning. Time was frozen and he was stuck in this moment, a moment, he knew he would never be able to escape. Ever. Kneeling between the bodies of his two murdered parents, desperately clutching their disfigured throats and trying to will the blood back into their bodies, an endless loop of fruitless endeavor. The spell was broken, when a cold hand was placed on his neck._ **

**_“My Sasuke.”_ **

**_He froze as he shifted his gaze to the left, a pale hand held his mother’s kitchen knife, emblazoned ‘Uchiha’. Barely any silver shone through the thick layer of dark red that coated the blade. The boy followed the hand up and looked into the face of his brother. Itachi could always be counted on to remain calm. Always._ **

**_“My Sasuke, you must understand. They were going to hurt you. I had to stop them before they got to you, my Sasuke.”_ **

**Stop saying that.**

**_“S-stop.” The boy’s words were stuck behind the shards of his heart and the whirling chaos in his mind that was trying to rationalize._ **

**This is not possible. He didn’t. He wouldn’t.**

**_The boy stood, shaking furiously, barely able to make his legs support his body. When his brother, alike to him in so many ways save for the scars that crossed his face, reached out to steady him, the boy reeled back in horror. Though his mind was plunged into mayhem, there was one clear thought in his head._ **

**Don’t let him touch you. Don’t let him touch you with the hands that killed them.**

**_Sirens sounded outside the house. Itachi seemed unbothered. With a shattered heart, the boy stepped over his father’s limp hand and backed away towards the front door, his gaze never leaving Itachi’s, his face nearly as blank as his brother’s._ **

**_“You should be grateful.” Sasuke took another step back._ **

**_“Grateful! I saved you! Your aniki saved you!” Another step._ **

**_Itachi, his appearance the only remnant of his brother left in the shell of a man before him, lunged at the boy with a manic glint in his eyes._ **

**Itachi is dead.**

**_Sasuke ducked as he felt the air where his throat had been half a second ago tremor with the force of Itachi’s swing. He pushed his brother back with the strength of adrenaline and flung open the door to face the police force gathered. The sound of their jargon heavy chatter was muffled behind the sound of the rain. He dashed past officers, they all seemed to move in slow motion, muted and dull. He began to run. As he ran and dimly registered the sound of shouts and sharp commands to ‘drop the knife’, an odd thought occurred to the boy. Usually when he got back from his early morning run, the sun was rising. Yet the sky only offered dark gray and sheets of rain. With his vision still imprinted with pools of dark blood, and the red on his hands running off in rivulets, he was convinced that it was raining blood._ **

**_The boy wasn’t sure of just how long he ran. All he knew was that the blood rain had turned back to normal rain by the time he stopped. As he entered town, walking with his head low, he saw his school ID photo flash on more than one television in passing stores. He couldn’t quite bring himself to care. However, when sirens blipped just around the corner at an upcoming intersection, the boy found himself ducking into the nearest alley. Exhausted he sat himself among the derelict and abandoned items and felt right at home. The uneven pavement beneath him had created numerous depressions of considerable size, filled to the brim with swirling, gray water. He emptied his pockets of his dead cellphone and wallet before plunging his hands into the largest of the puddles, scraping his nails across his hands, scrubbing at the blood gathered there. He was reminded, ironically, of Lady Macbeth._ **

**_“’Out, damned spot! Out, I say! One, two. Why, then, ‘tis time to do ‘t. Hell is murky!’” The stricken boy quoted the bard. Then wondered aloud to himself, “But I’ve done nothing. I didn’t do anything. It wasn’t me it was-”_ **

**_Realization dawned on the boy. The safe walls of denial that he had built around himself shattered and the world came crashing down. His hands stilled their scrubbing and his palms shone pink, the water in the puddle now faintly shimmering with diluted blood. It wasn’t his brother who killed his parents. It was someone he didn’t know. A stranger. A monster._ **

**A stranger.**

**_Satisfied with this conclusion, the boy dumped his phone into the puddle and placed his wallet into his pocket. He curled into the corner of the alley and hugged his dead father’s black rain jacket snug round his thin frame, and ran his fingers over the black fabric of his dead brother’s running pants, and clutched his black locks of hair from his dead mother. Already dressed for mourning, the boy closed his eyes and silently let a tear slip past his mask. Then he let a few hundred thousand more fall behind the mask that he was sure was still firmly in place. After sometime, the sun had arched across the sky behind the veil of light gray, the clouds grew weary and splattered the gathered frustration of the day onto the little town. After hours of stillness, with his eyes closed, staring at the image of his murdered parents that was permanently burned across the backs of his eyelids, the boy blinked open his eyes, his long lashes blinking into the pattering drops of rain. Now, after gaining some chronological distance, they didn’t look like blood. They looked like tears._ **

**_The boy stood. He felt hot tears brim and gather._ **

**It’s the rain.**

**_As he turned his face heavenward, the distinction between a tear and a drop of rain didn’t seem so significant. So the boy let the rain inside of him fall._ **

**It’s still the rain.**

**_He approached the entrance of the alley with a heaving chest, eager to run as fast and as far as he could, forever. The boy exited the alley and looked back, mind set on coming back at some point._ **

**_He ran._ **

**_He passed a school, it seemed too mundane, too normal of a thing to see. A ditzy blonde looked out a second story window. The school buses were lining up to take kids home to families. Houses. Brothers. Parents. All things that the boy had lost._ **

**_He continued to run. He reached a bridge over a river. The water was crashing against its bank, swirling and frothing at the bottom. The boy stood over the bridge for too long. Long enough to draw looks from bypassers in their cars. Eventually, he left. But he kept the location of the bridge locked away in a secure place in his mind. Placed it neatly on the correctly labeled cluttered shelf, next to scarred wrists and ropes. He ran back the same way he had come as fast as he could. He passed the same school, buzzing with lingering students, and continued. He kept his head down so as to avoid detection or recognition from the news that morning._ **

**_Not quite registering his surroundings, and the rain still falling, outside and in, he made contact with someone. They fell, but he kept running. Unable to care. When he heard footsteps start up behind him, sounding more frantic and uneven than the steady beat that Sasuke’s steps made, he found himself unable to care. He simply dashed back to his alley and huddled into his jacket once more. A few moments later, a vaguely familiar boy with blonde hair crept into the alley, both hands held out, as if approaching an animal. As demeaning as it felt, the blonde’s ridiculous appearance helped. He looked like a half drowned, starving cherub with terrible fashion sense. Deep past the boy’s mask, past his façade, a fire was lit._ **

**Has the rain stopped?**

**_The boy discreetly passed a delicate finger over his cheeks to find that, indeed, the rain had stopped. Surprise, perhaps, at the intrusion into his space, caused the sudden change._ **

**_“H-Hey...I. I'm sorry for chasing you...I. I didn't scare you, did I?"_ **

**What?**

**_Confusion was overriding nearly every other feeling at the moment. Being scared of such a naïve creature was the last thing the boy would think to ever happen to him._ **

**_“Who sculpted you? Michelangelo? Jesus.”_ **

**No you moron. DNA.**

**_"Ah...I guess I said that out loud then. Um. Sorry about that." Behind his mask, the boy’s face flooded with embarrassment._ **

**As did I.**

**_Calling upon every social skill he’d ever possessed, the boy made a herculean effort to produce an acceptable answer._ **

**_“It’s fine. I’ve heard worse.” The blonde looked at the boy and he felt the fire in his chest grow. It was warm. It felt like home. It felt incredibly safe. His mask cracked again, spider webbing across his vision at a rapid pace, until it fell away completely at the toothy smile that was shot his way by the blonde. That morning faded away. He was blinded by the sun that was passing by on its merry way through this person. Their gray surroundings melted away from the warmth his eyes radiated._ **

**_"Hey...I really am sorry. I overreacted back there and chased you...I'm just like that sometimes. Can I ask your name?" Warily, the boy thought over his options. This ball of sunshine may just report him to the police. Then, a flicker of dying sunlight caught his blue eyes and the color of them flickered in such brilliance as to be comparable to the blue of an exploding star, the hottest of fires. The boy found himself, unable to care._ **

**_“Uchiha Sasuke. You?” And just like that, any remaining shards of the mask crumbled to dust and Sasuke was once again himself._ **

**_"Charmed to meet you Sasuke, I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I really am sorry." A flash of recognition sparked in Sasuke’s mind and he perked at the mention of the name._ **

**_"...Like...like the fishcake 'Naruto'?" His full attention was grabbed as an endearing look of shyness overcame_ **

**Naruto.**

**_"Heh...um...Yeah I guess. My mom was Japanese and she really, really loved ramen. She was kind of unhealthily obsessed with it actually. I think I inherited the same obsession though so who am I to judge, am I right?"_ **

**Wow.**

**_"...You...you're half Japanese? You're blonde...and your eyes are like super, super blue.”_ **

**Gross, Sasuke.**

**_“I-I mean…you-you're very blonde...and w-well. I-I certainly didn't mean to-to imply s-such...something...Like that." Sasuke desperately scrambled to cover his slip and silently berated himself for letting his mask get destroyed as he felt his cheeks grow warm and pink._ **

**_Naruto regarded him once more. "I don't mean to pry, but could I ask why you were crying?"_ **

**Crying? Oh. The rain.**

**_Sasuke’s desperately needed a new mask. He gathered the shards from the ground of the blank mask, then melded them with his humorous mask. The result was acceptable. And dramatic. Very dramatic._ **

**_"Oh. Well, it’s nothing really, just..."_ **

**A stranger who looked one hell of a lot like my brother killed my parents this morning and now the police are looking for me.**

**_He let the mask take over, the boy hid Sasuke away._ **

**_"You're a lucky little punk, you know that Naruto?"_ **

**_"C-come again?"_ **

**_The boy smiled behind the mask, content with his plan to avoid the topic of the stranger._ **

**_"Not many people have ever seen me like-” The boy searched for words only Sasuke knew, and came away with only, "like, this." The blonde replied._ **

**_"Hey. It's alright. It's okay to cry sometimes.”_ **

**_The boy and his mask were having quite the ball messing with the innocent blonde._ **

**_“Yeah, well maybe to someone like you.”_ **

**_“And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"_ **

**_"Well, I just meant, like. Normal people I guess? You are a normal person and it's okay for you to cry sometimes."_ **

**Bullshit.**

**_"And you, as a non-normal person, can't?"_ **

**_The boy nodded, prayed the mask wouldn’t fall off in the process and made his exit. "It was nice to meet you Uzumaki Naruto. But I have to go now."_ **

**_The blonde stared wide eyed and the boy, assumedly not completely understanding the situation._ **

**_"Uh, yeah totally, you too Sasuke. Um. See you around?” The boy heard the question in his voice and turned one last time._ **

**_"I'm just a bit confused. This was definitely one of the weirder things that have happened to me? I'm not sure why it's so weird, it shouldn't be, right? You're only a person, I mean, a pretty nice looking person, but still just a person and-"_ **

**_Thankfully, the boy and the mask had the perfect answer. "Yeah, I tend to have that effect on people. Can't really help it myself actually."_ **

**_With this, he ambled out of the alley and walked away, in search of a new place to let his mask fall and just breathe. Breathe free, as Sasuke._ **


End file.
